In the year 1819, when the battle of Waterloo was still fresh in the minds of every one, the Prince Regent, who became George IV, being desirous of fitly commemorating the event, conceived the idea of doing so by the striking of a medal which by reason of its magnificence would do justice to the great achievement of arms. To this end a competition among the great artists of the day was suggested to the Royal Academicians, but they unanimously selected Flaxman to execute the commission. He produced a design which, approved by his peers, was passed on to Benedetto Pistrucci, a Roman who succeeded T. Wyon as chief engraver at the Royal Mint. Signor Pistrucci, however, refused to cut the dies, on the grounds that his abilities and position placed him above that of a mere die cutter. His claims were acceded to; Flaxman's designs were abandoned, and Pistrucci was commissioned to prepare a modelled design, which was "instantly honoured by the fullest and most flattering approbation of" the Prince Regent. He thereupon received instructions to cut the dies for a fee of £3,500, the price being based upon the assumption that the design contained as much work as thirty ordinary-sized medals, and certainly a glance at the reduced photographs facing page 80—the medal is 5½ in. in diameter—will give some idea of the exceeding amount of work which the famous die cutter and gem carver put into his chef d'oeuvre. The dies were finished in 1849; and of the great men who were to receive the medal in gold, the Duke of Wellington—the greatest of them all—was the only survivor when a lead impression was taken for submission to the Lords of the Treasury.

It is stated that the reason for the failure to strike from the massive dies was owing to the super difficulties which could not be overcome in any attempt to harden them. The real reason may, however, be found in our altered relationship with the Continental nations, and in consequence thereof the Government of the day had no desire to do anything which might give offence to our ally in 1850. It was felt, however, that Pistrucci's masterpiece should not be kept from the public, and the Lords of the Treasury handed the matrices to a Mr. Johnson of Alexander Terrace, Bayswater, who prepared a number of electrotypes, a pair of which have been kindly lent me for illustration herein by my friend and late student, Cecil Thomas, who, like Pistrucci, is one of the very few craftsmen who are equally at home in the cutting of steel or gem stones.

The Official Description.—"Both sides of the medal are treated allegorically, except the central part of the obverse, which represents the busts of the four allied Sovereigns, the Prince Regent, Emperor of Austria, Emperor of Russia, and King of Prussia, grouped together in profile. Around this group of actual portraits the figures constitute an allegorical and mythological allusion to the treaty of peace which was consequent upon the great triumph on the field of battle. The summit of the surrounding groupings presents Apollo in his car restoring the day. The rainbow zephyr and Iris follow the chariot of the sun in succession, but the zephyr is tending towards the earth, and scattering flowers, as the emblem of peace and tranquillity.

"On the opposite side, the car of Apollo is seen closely approaching the constellation Gemini, personified, as usual, by a pair of graceful youths, indicating the month in which the great contest took place. Castor and Pollux, each armed with spears, are intended to elucidate the apotheosis of Wellington and Blucher. Themis, the goddess of justice, appears on earth, as in the Golden Age. This figure is placed in front of the profile busts of the Sovereigns, to show that Justice is a greater security to government than Power. The goddess is seated on a rock; a palm-tree waves over her head; she is prepared to reward virtue with its branches in one hand, and in the other holds a sword for the ready punishment of crime. Power is personified by a robust man of mature age, bearded, and armed with a club; he is seated under an oak-tree, and forms the corresponding figure, at the back of the group of busts of the Allied Sovereigns, to that of Justice facing it. Beneath Themis the Fates are introduced, to indicate that henceforward human actions will be controlled by Justice alone. These actions and passions are represented by the Furies, which, being placed beneath the emblematical figure of Power, are subjected to its influence, and no longer suffered to quit the infernal regions, or Cimmerian caverns, in which, at the base of this side of the medal, the allegory is completed by the figure of Night, the mother of the Fates, receding into darkness from the ruling daylight of Phoebus' car on the summit.

"The central group on the reverse consists of a couple of equestrian figures, classically treated, but having the countenances of Wellington and Blucher. They are full of action; the figure personifying the Hero of Waterloo is galloping in advance, and that of the veteran Blucher is rushing to the aid of his companion in glory, to complete the enemy's destruction. They are guided by a female figure of a flying Victory, placed between them, conducting their horses to the conflict. Quite detached from this central group, and forming a border round it, a composition of many figures represents the battle of the Giants. They are struck down by the thunder of Jupiter; the youngest ones, being the most daring in the assault of heaven, are the first to receive the Divine punishment. In their descent they tumble over one another in every variety of attitude—symbolical of the confusion of the defeated enemy. The number of the figures of the Giants is nineteen, illustrative of the nineteen years' duration of the war; and in grouping these figures they are represented following each other in succession."